Typewriting machine



June 16, 1936. w. F. HELMOND TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l NVENTOR! I) j BY I TORNEY.

' June 16, 1936.

w. F. HELMOND TYPEWRITING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 25, 1935 INVENTOR:

II 7 m 4 9 BY 5 I W Y.

Patented June 16, 1936 UNITED, STATES TYPEWRITING MACHINE William F. Helmond, West Hartford, Conn., as-

signor to Underwood Elliott Fisher Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application January 23, 1935, Serial No. 3,037

. 7 Claims.

This invention relates to typewriter-carriage mechanism, and aims to providefor quiet operation thereof, and to gain other advantages, by means of certain novel ,devices which will be simple so as to conduce to economical manufacturing and servicing, and which will nevertheless be fully effective and durable in use.

A feature of improvement pertaining to quiet and non-jarring operation resides in having the usual line-space-lever-nose engage the linespace-pawl carrier, by means of a yieldable element which is arranged to act as an anti-rattle and buffer device, and which may be inexpensively made, and used with existing designs of linespace levers, such as the Underwood.

Another feature of improvement is contrived by arranging a part which forms a spring for the line-space pawl to also serve, at practically negligible extra cost, as a resilient stop-device for quietly arresting the spring-pressed return of the line-space-pawl carrier.

Another feature of improvement pertains to quietly arresting the escape of the limber-dog of the letter-feed escapement, and for this purpose a novel refiexed leaf-spring is provided, and said spring may moreover be adjustably secured to the dog-rocker by but one screw, inasmuch as it may be provided with an anchoring tongue spaced from said one screw and made to engage a kerf usually provided on the dog-rocker.

A-n oblong ferrule-like resilient ring, used to arrest the case-shifts quietly, has one long side inserted edgewise in a slot of a supporting boss to extend from the latter cantilever-wise, so that the boss-overhanging end of the oblong ferrule may quietly arrest the case-shifts. According to the present improvements, said ferrule-retaining slot may extend perpendicularly to the caseshift direction. The other long side of the ferrule, outside of the boss, is parallel to the plane of the slot, and presents the stop-face for the lower-case platen-position.

The boss-overhanging part of the long ferruleside retained in said slot presents the stop-face for theupper-case platen-position and is inclined, by means of a bend in said long side, relatively to said slot, so that endwise adjustment of the ferrule along the slot effects adjustment of said upper-case position. Another improvement resides in means, supplemental to a ferruleclamping screw which bears upon an edge of the ferrule, for preventing play of the ferrule in caseshifting direction in the slot, whereby the ferrule, in any endwise adjusted position, is enabled to uniformly limit the c e-shift movements.

' and a front track (not shown).

These devices may be at the front of the sidemembers of the platen-shifting frame. At the rear of said platen-frame side-members there may be abutment of other stop-surfaces to determine only the normal or lower case position of the 5 platen-frame, and there are provided novel means for retaining cushioning elements for such abutment.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear. 10

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating details of the case-shift cushioning devices at the rear of the platen-shifting frame.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of a portion oi. the 15 parts of the case-shift stop-devices at the front of the platen-frame.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a typewritercarriage such as the Underwood, and shows in perspective themeans including the present im- 20 provements.

Figure 4 is a perspective viewof the escapement-mechanism illustrating details of the novelmeans for quietly arresting the limber-dog.

Figure 5 is a sectional side view of the carriage- 25 mechanism to illustratethe several features of improvement.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the line-spacepawl-carrier and the line-space lever, and shows, partly sectioned, the novel cushioning element in 30 the form of a shield applied to the nose of the line-space lever, and how said shield may yield in line-spacing operations.

, Figure '7 is a perspective view of the nose-end of the line-space lever and the novel cushioning 35 shield applied to said nose.

Figure 8 is a top plan view which'shows the line-space lever and its novel cushioning shield when the parts are in normal position, and further shows the novel resilient stop-means, where- Q by the spring-urged return of the line-spacepawl carrier is quietly arrested. The view also brings out details relating to the novel case-shift stop-devices at the front of the platen-frame.

The improvements are illustrated as applied to 45 typewriter-carriage mechanism, such as the Underwood.

A carriage-frame ll runs upon a. rear track 12 A platen i3 is journaled in a frame H, supported in said car- 50 riage-frame H, for case-shifting movements, by means of side-arms l5 that are fastened to a cross-shaft IE to work in unison, and are fulcrumed upon eccentrically adjustable studs It retained in said carriage-frame ll. Said side- 55 1 arms I! support the platen-frame i4 at gudgeons ll of the latter, and side-links l8, connected to the carriage-frame ll, co-operate with said sidearms i5 to guide the platen-frame case-shift movements. The usual key-controlled case-shift rail and its frame are shown at 20, Figure 5, the shift-rail engaging a roller 2! of the platenframe. Ears 11, extending laterally from the sides of the platen-frame, have novel cushioning elements, to be described later herein, to abut the carriage-frame at I1 to determine the lowercase position of the platen-frame.

A feed-rack 22 on the carriage, a pinion 23, an escapement-wheel 24 and dogs 25, 26 ico-operate to letter-feed the carriage upon actuation oi.

a universal bar 21 by type-bars represented at 28,

and having upper and lower case: types 28", Figure 5, the usual carriage-feeding spring-motor not being shown. The limber-dog 25 of the escapement-device is mounted upon a pivot 29 of the usual dog-rocker 3|] upon which the dog 26 is fixed. The universal bar 21 has a rearward extension which engages an adjustable screw-stud 3| of the dog-rocker to actuate the latter. For binding said screw-stud 3! in its adjusted position, its hole in the dog-rocker 33 is split by a kerf 32.

A line-space lever 35 is pivoted to the carriageframe I I at 36, and has anose-arm 81 for drivin a slide 38 carrying a line-space pawl 33, which upon a rearward stroke of the slide may engage a line-space wheel 40 which is" connected to a platen-axle 4|, and is engaged by a springpressed detent-arm 44. The pawl-carrier or slide 38 is slidably supported by a platen-frame sidemember 42 and a lateral fin 43 thereof. A spring 45 retracts the slide 38 upon release of the linespace lever 35. The line-space lever, in its normal idle position, Figure 8, abuts a cushioning stop 45; while the normal idle position of the line-space-pawl slide 38 is determined by a novel stop-device which will be described later herein.

The novel devices which conduce to make operation of the carriage-mechanism quiet will now be described.

A resilient connection betweenthe line-space lever 35 and the line-space-pawl slide 38 conduces to quiet non-jarring line-spacing operation, inasmuch as such connection takes up any play which may arise between these parts and produce rattling, and also cushions the reactions which occur between these parts as they are reciprocated at the line-spacing operation. Such resilient connection is feasible in the form of a shield 41, arranged to work as a yieldable interponent between the line-space-lever-nme-arm 31 and the companion face 43 of said slide 38. Said shield 41 may have ears 58, Figures 6, '1 and 8, by means of which it is'retained upon said line-spacedlever-nose-arm 31, and pivoted thereto, at 5!, to permit movement of its slide-engaging portion 52 relative to said nose-arm, to take up play between the latter and the slide 38 and to yield in order to act as a cushioning device. A spring for spreading the slide-engaging portion 52 of the shield and the nose-arm 31 apart to prevent rattle-producing play between the latter and the slide 38, is aiforded by a resilient tongue 53, which, as best seen in Figure '1, may be struck from the shield, so as tobe integral therewith. The shield may be provided with an extension 54, in order that the spring-tongue 53 may be of sufllcient length. Said extension 54 may also act, by abutment of its free end with the line-space lever, to limit thesprcadingllmrtoithcnortion 52 and the line-space-lever-nose as when the linespace lever is handled separately from the machine, the shield 41 being incorporated with said line-space lever. The shield 41 may be inexpensively stamped from sheet-metal, preferably spring-steel, of a thickness of, say, from .005 to .010 of an inch for the illustrated carriagemechanism. The shield may, moreover, be shaped to conform substantially with the profile of the line-space-lever-nose-arm 31 as indicated, and its upper and lower edges may be turned, toward the line-space-lever-nose-arm as at 55, to stiflfen the shield. It will be understood that the spring-tongue 53 of the shield tends to spread the slide-engaging portion 52 from the linespace-lever-nose-arm 31 by its reaction against the latter. Figure 8 shows the line-spacemechanism parts in their normal positions, and furthermore indicates how the shield acts to prevent rattle-producing play between the linespace-lever-nose and the line-space-pawl-carrying slide 38. Figure 6 shows how the shield 41 has yielded, until its portion 52 abuts the linespace-lever-nose 31, in the line-space-lever stroke; it being evident that by its capability for so yielding, the shield also conduces to preventing the reactions, between the line-space-pawl slide 38 and the line-space lever 35 during linespacing, from producing noise and jarring effects.

The return of the line-space -pawl carrier or slide 38 by its spring 45 is quietly arrested as follows. An element 56 has a branch which forms a leaf-spring 51 for urging the line-space pawl 33 toward the line-space wheel 40, said element being secured to said slide as at 58. Said element 56 is of resilient material, preferably spring-steel, and the provision of another extension or branch 59 thereon, arranged to strike the slide-guiding fin 43, enables said element 56 to also serve for quietly arresting said return of the slide 38. For this purpose, said extension 59 may be formed as shown, and its end may be bent as at 63, so that, by reason of the consequent offsetting of the point of impact, said extension will tend to flex and recover at its impact against the slide guide or fin 43, which acts as a counter-stop, and thereby make said impact and the arresting of slide 38 quiet. By thus utilizing said pawl springforming element 56 a resilient stop-device is atforded at negligible extra cost.

The rearward stroke of the universalbar 21 rocks the dog-rocker 30 from the Figure 3 position to the Figure 4 position to'permit springpressed escape of the limber-dog 25 preparatory to an ensuing carriage-feeding step. For quietly arresting such escape, a novel dog-stop is provided, and may be easily adjusted to regulate the extent of escape of the limber-dog 25. Said stop may be arranged as follows. A stop-member 62 of spring sheet-material has a dog-arresting extremity 63 which is rendered resilient, for sounddeadening purpose, by extending from a bodypart 64 by way of reflex bends, as indicated at 65, 66, Figures 3 and 4, said body-part 84 being mounted against the rear face of the dog-rocker 30. Means for adjustably securing said stopmember 62 to the dog-rocker 30 include only one binding screw 61, since the body-part 64 of said stop-piece may have bent therefrom an anchoring tongue 68 which by its disposition within the dog-rocker keri. 32 co-operates with said binding screw 81 to hold said stop-member 62. Said tongue 68 may move along said kerf 32 for adjustment of the stop-member 52 in a direction which will be appropriate for eflecting regulation 7 of the swing of the limber-dog 25, since a stopface 10 of said dog is inclined to said kerf 32. Therefore, adjustment of the stop-piece 62 up or down as directed by said kerf will move its dog-arresting extremity 63 from or toward said stop-face 10. A screw-hole 1|, in the stop-member 62, for the binding screw 61 is elongated to permit such up-and-down adjustment of the stop-member, and the body-part 64 of the latter may be arranged to space the binding screw 61 from the tongue 68, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. Adjustment of the stop-piece 62 involves loosening and tightening of only said one binding screw 61, and the latter is accessible from the back of the machine.

For regulating the range of case-shift movement of the platen-frame I4, and for arresting said movement quietly the following devices are provided. Each platen-frame side-member 42 has a forwardly-extending horn 13 having a horizontal stop-edge 14 for abutting an oblong ferrule-like sound-deadening stop 15 made of resilient sheet-metal. A stop-supporting boss 16,

at each side of the carriage-frame I I, has a horizontal slot 11 into which a lower side 18 'of the stop is inserted and seated edgewise. An upper side 19 of the oblong resilient stop passes over and is spaced from the top of said boss 16, as at 80, Figure 5. Said sides 18, 19of the resilient stop 15 extend rearwardly, cantilever-wise, from said boss 16 for engagement with the platenframe side-member 42, the edge 14 of the latter abutting the upper face or side 19 of the stop 15 in the lower-case platen position. A platenframe-arresting portion 8| ofthe lower or bossengaging side 18 of the stop I5 is inclined relatively to the boss-slot 11 and may be engaged by an edge 82 of the platen-frame side-member 42 to determine the upper-case platen position. The stop 15 is fastened in the supporting boss 16 by a headed clamp-screw 84 threaded into said boss, the clamping head of said screw bearing upon the outer edge of the lower side 18 of the Q stop 15,as indicated in Figure 2. Upon loosening said clamp-screw 84, the oblong stop 15 may be adjusted endwise in the boss-slot 11, and, by reason of the inclination of the platen-framearresting portion 8| of said stop 15 relative to said slot 11, the latter extending perpendicularly to the direction of case-shift, such endwise adjustment of the stop 15 will effect adjustment of the upper-case platen position. It will be noted that the relative arrangement of the platenframe stop-edge 14, the upper ferrule side 19 and the boss-slot 11 is such that adjustment of the stop-ferrule 15 along said slot does not affect the lower-case platen position.

For preventing play, in case-shift direction, of the stop 15 in the boss-slot 11 and thereby enable the stop, in any endwise adjusted position, to uniformly limit the case-shifts, a play-take-up screw 85 may be threaded into the boss 16 to keep the lower chord or side 18 of said stop 15 against the upper side of the slot 11, as indicated in Figures 2 and v5. Thus the sides of the bossslot 11 may fit the ferrule loosely, thereby conducing to reduce the cost of manufacture. Furthermore, the loose fitting slot 11 facilitates the described endwise ferrule-adjustment, it being understood that for this purpose the play-takeup screw 84 may be loosened and tightened at will. It will be understood that the clamp-screw 84 serves to prevent sidewise displacement of the stop I5.

Engagement of the platen-frame ears I1,

formed upon frame-members 9|, with the carriage-frame at I1 is cushioned for sound-deadening purpose by the following novel means arranged for application to the limited room afforded upon said ears. A thimble 92 rises from the upper surface of the ear l1; and may be fastened' to the ear I1. A cushioning. pad 93, seated within a counterbore 94, at the bottom of said thimble wardly through the pad and through the thimble; so that a nut 98, threaded upon said screw and drawn against the top of the thimble, will cooperate to retain the pad 93. By variably drawing upon the screw 96 by means of the readily accessible nut 98, the pad 93 may be variably compressed, and thereby its extension below the bottom of the ear I1 may be regulated to facilitate correspondence with the adjustment made at the front of the platen-frame to determine the lower-case platen-level. The ear l1 may also be bent up or down for adjustment of said platenlevel.

Plates 99, adjustably secured to the carriageframe II, by screws I00, present abutments "II for supporting the cross-shaft I6 against flexing, thereby enabling the side-arms l5, fastened to said shaft, to rigidly resist the endwise tending inertia of the platen and its frame l4, as each carriage-advance is checked.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus describedmy invention, I claim:

1. In typewriter-carriage mechanism arranged for quiet operation, said carriage-mechanism including a revoluble platen, and line-spacing devices, the combination with a reciprocatory linespace-ratchet-pawl carrier, and a line-space operating lever having an arm presentinga nose substantially against a companion face of said pawl-carrier for driving the latter, of an element arranged to work resiliently between said linespace-lever-nose and the contiguous pawl-carrier face to prevent rattle-producing play therebetween, and to cushion the reactions occurring between-said nose and pawl-carrier at the linespacing operation.

2. In typewriter-carriage mechanism arranged for quiet operation, said carriage-mechanism including a revoluble platen, and line-spacing devices, the combination with a reciprocatory linespace-ratchet-pawl'carrier, and a line-space operating lever having an arm presenting a nose substantially against a companion face of said pawl-carrier for driving the latter, of a comparatively thin shield arranged to work resiliently between said line-space-lever-nose and the contiguous pawl-carrier face to prevent rattle-producing play therebetween and to cushion the reactions occurring between said nose and pawlcarrier at the line-spacing operation.

3. In typewriter-carriage mechanism arranged for quiet operation, said carriage-mechanism including a revoluble platen, and line-spacing .de-'

tiguous pawl-carrier faceto prevent rattle-producing play therebetween and to cushion the reactions occurring between said nose and pawlcarrier at the line-spacing operation, said thin shield being incorporated with the line-space lever, and being arranged to react resiliently against the latter and against said pawl-carrier face.

4. In typewriter-carriage mechanism arranged for quiet operation, said carriage-mechanism including a carriage-frame, a revoluble platen, and line-spacing devices, the combination with a reciprocatory line-space-ratchet-pawl carrier mounted by a platen-frame which is supported for case-shifting movement relative to said carriage-frame, and a line-space operating lever mounted on the carriage-frame and having an arm presenting a nose substantiallyagainst a companion face of said pawl-carrier for driving the latter, irrespective of the case-shift, said face extending in case-shift direction, of an element arranged to work resiliently between said line-spalce-lever-nose and the contiguous pawlcarrier face to prevent rattle-producing play therebetween, and to cushion the reactions occurring between said nose and pawl-carrier at the line-spacing operations.

5. In typewriter-carriage mechanism arranged for quiet operation, said carriage-mechanism including a carriage-frame, a revoluble platen, and line-spacing devices, the combination with a reciprocatory line-space-ratchet-pawl carrier mounted by a platen-frame which issupported for case-shifting movement relative to said carriage-frame, and a line-space operating lever mounted on the carriage-frame and having an arm presenting a nose substantially against a companion face of said pawl-carrier for driving the latter, irrespective of the case-shift, said face extending in case-shift direction, of a shield of comparatively thin spring-material arranged to resiliently work between said line-space-levernose, and

nose and the contiguous pawl-carrier face, said shield being pivoted relatively to the line-space lever and having a tongue serving as a spring reacting against said line-space lever, whereby said shield is kept resiliently pressed against said pawl-carrier face to prevent rattle-producing play between the latter and the line-space-leverto cushion the reactions occurring between said nose and the pawl-carrier at the linespacing operations.

6. In typewriter-carriage mechanism arranged for quiet operation, said mechanism including a revolub1e platen and line-spacing devices therefor, the combination with a reciprccatory linespace-ratchet-pawl carrier, and a spring for returning said pawl-carrier after its line-space stroke, of an element made of sheet spring-material and mounted upon said pawl-carrier, said element being arranged to act as a leaf-spring bearing upon the line-space-r'atchet-pawl on said carrier, said element being further arranged to also act as a resilient stop, engageable with a counter-stop, for quietly arresting the springpressed return of said pawl-carrier.

v 7. In typewriter-carriage mechanism arranged for quiet operation, said mechanism including a revoluble platen and line-spacing devices therefor, the combination with a line-space-ratchetpawl carrier, spaced guides slidably mounting said pawl-carrier for reciprocation, and a spring for returning said pawl-carrier after its linespace stroke, of an element made of spring-material and mounted upon said pawl-carrier, said element having a branch acting as a leaf-spring bearing upon the line-space-ratchet-pawl on said carrier, said element having another branch to serve as a resilient pawl-carrier stop for which one of said spaced guides serves as a counterstop, whereby a resilient stop-device for quietly arresting the spring-pressed return of said pawlcarrier is afforded at negligible cost.

WILLIAM F. vHELMOND. 

